As we close out 2018, I wanted to take some time to put the spotlight on winning email campaigns I’ve seen over the past year. Today, we’ll put the spotlight on the best holiday email campaigns! Bear in mind that the year isn’t over yet, and there are probably even more coming down the pipe. The good news? If you’ve still got some flex in your marketing calendar, it isn’t too late to apply some of the winning elements from these campaigns to your own efforts for the month of December!
Leading up to the end of the year, I shared some planning and strategy tips to help you make your best holiday email campaigns in 2018. Feel free to check out my spotlight on October, November, and my 5-part series on December to add context to why I love these campaigns so much. Without any further ado…
The Top 5 Holiday Email Campaigns of 2018 (so far)
-
The Blurb Holiday Book Campaign
Why is this top 5 material?
I love that this email beautifully, simply, and concisely overcomes many of the common objections a first-time book-builder would have. The Q&A format is compelling and encourages scroll.
Why it delighted me:
Simple, beautiful images of the product in question + strong value statements and calls to action all made this delightful for me.
What could make it even better?
I don’t love the subject line “You asked. We answered.” Weaving in the holiday gift component to the subject line would have helped better frame customer expectations of the value they would be getting when they opened the email.
Make it work for you:
Can you think of a Q&A email campaign to put together for your own business?
-
The Kate Spade holiday gift guide
Why is this top 5 material?
So focused and easy to navigate! By providing me with easy to follow links to shop products that fit budget, they invite me right into the purchase experience while also capturing some valuable data about my buying habits.
Why it delighted me:
Clean design and a charming little glimmer animation on the hero image drew me in. The closing recap of all the ways that Kate Spade can make your gift-giving a breeze? Pushed it over the edge.
What could make it even better?
This email is a series of big fat images. Exclusively image-based emails, while lovely to look at, can be less than functional in the inbox.
Exclusively image-based emails can also introduce inbox placement issues. Some inbox providers see image-based emails as potential spam and block them. Some users have images blocked by default, preventing all your lovely imagery from showing up at all. At minimum, the thumbnails under “We Make Gifting Easy” could have used live text instead of just an image. Every little bit helps!
Make it work for you:
Think of the ways that your business makes the holidays easy for your customers. Can you sum those elements up in a beautiful footer navigation like Kate Spade does?
-
The Duluth Trading Co. Holiday Guide
Why is this top 5 material?
The campaign leads with an invitation to connect with their brand on a much deeper level than simply buying their products. The hero product is a brand book that shares their history, for those of us who are inspired by business storytelling, and shares their playful and fun artwork, for those of us who are inspired by strong brand imagery. Sharing this book of their history helps them connect with their most loyal fans while also positioning their business as much more than a producer of stretchy underwear.
Why it delighted me:
I mean, keep scrolling. A man in his undies directing Santa’s sleigh? Fun fun fun. Gift cards and a can-do gift guide? Again, positioning value for any kind of shopper, all in one charming email.
What could make it even better?
I’ll be honest, one of the things I like the most about this email (the featured brand book) is also its potential greatest downfall. What about for those of us who don’t really care that much about a business’s story? Putting this front and center has just as much potential to alienate customers as it does to enchant them. It’s a strong move, and will attract the ambassadors and likely repel the lurkers. I’m curious if there was any a/b testing done to position the brand book elsewhere in the creative. That’s what I would have done.
Make it work for you:
Does your business have a story to tell? How can you incorporate it to your holiday email campaigns?
-
Benziger Family Winery & Imagery Estate Holiday Guide Emails
Why is this top 5 material?
First of all, this was the first holiday guide email to land in my inbox in 2018, with a launch date of October 5. Recent research suggests that about 1 in 5 people start their holiday shopping in October, so being in the inbox with relevant content for those guys, before they start expecting to pay way less, is genius. The second send went out on November 5, and mixed up the imagery while keeping the same layout – thus attracting different kinds of buyers and keeping the content fresh! I am already eagerly refreshing my inbox for the next imagination of this to see how they adjust the creative in December to accommodate last-minute shopping. I know they didn’t read my Holiday Guide Email blog post because it went live AFTER this email launched, but I feel like these guys were reading my mind…
Why it delighted me:
Beautiful product imagery sets the stage for how great it would feel to wrap up your gifting in impressive fashion. Product and brand-specific shopping offers and categories give people a place to start. And holiday order deadlines are clearly laid out at the bottom, making it easy for the buyer to plan ahead.
What could make it better?
Add a call to action above the fold. The hero image could simply have a “Shop the Gift Guide” button and I would be singing its praises. As it is, the links to the site are just a bit too passive for my taste.
Make it work for you:
Plan ahead. Get a holiday photoshoot on the books (even if the details are fluffy) for next summer. Start thinking about ways to package your products/services way in advance, so you can capture compelling imagery when the photoshoot rolls around AND offer your subscribers options at gift-giving time!
-
The Seattle Seahawks Holiday Guide Emails
What makes this Top 5 Material?
You guys, the Seahawks are crushing it this year. Maybe not on the football field, but definitely with their holiday email campaigns. The initial send gives you two ways to shop – by category or price. The second send gets a little more in your face with a shipping offer, and mixes up (COMPLETELY!) the featured categories by positioning Collections (with product images!) and full-width banner features of doorbusters and gift cards to close. It’s straight from the Holiday Guide Email playbook.
Why it delighted me:
Okay, if you aren’t a Seahawks fan, you won’t care about this email. But for people who ARE Seahawks fans, there’s an entire tribe they run with who would be delighted to get gifts with their favorite team logo on it. Offering easy entry points to the shopping experience based on price point, who they’re shopping for, and even the collection of merchandise, is a win for everybody.
What could make it even better?
Is there any value-added content they could embed here to appeal to those who connect with the Seahawks beyond wanting to buy logo merch? Maybe a how-to guide – “Throw the ultimate Seahawks holiday party.” Or include a holiday message from a player or the coach.
Make it work for you:
If your business is dedicated to selling products, think of how you can categorize those products to provide your customers with easy shopping entry points through your gift emails.
Bonus – if that can also give you business insights into top performing price points or categories, double win!
Summin’ it up
I hope you found something delightful AND actionable in reviewing this holiday email campaigns round-up post. Take inspiration from these brands and others that are hitting your own personal inbox, and apply to your own efforts as appropriate. Are there any stand out features or customer delight elements that you can apply to your own business? Don’t be sad if you missed the boat this year: get these tactics on the calendar for next year’s holiday email campaigns. You might just end up in a Top 5 Round-Up post. 🙂
These were just five of the holiday email campaigns I received this year that made me go “Ah!” What were some of yours?